For many bow and arrow hunters, it is highly desirable to take photographs of any game toward which they shoot their arrows. It is extremely difficult and a cause for inaccuracy for a single hunter to attempt to actuate a camera to take a picture while shooting an arrow with a bow. And, of course, coordinating the timing of the camera actuation with the release of the bow is important, since any early camera shutter noise may cause the target animal to move before the arrow can be released.
Ryan U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,159 discloses an automatic camera actuating apparatus for use on an archery bow, wherein the string and eccentrically mounted cams of a bow, in conjunction with cooperating cables and a microswitch, are adapted to electrically actuate a camera shutter upon release of the arrow. Alternately, Ryan utilizes an electric eye to actuate the camera. In a further embodiment, Ryan discloses a mechanical shutter tripper actuator, including a plunger assembly having a rod and an enlarged end slidably mounted in a housing supported by a bracket. A tube and enclosed cable extends from the housing to a connector into the camera. Release of the bow string contacts the enlarged end of the plunger assembly to thereby move the tube and cable to actuate the camera.